


Sick Leave

by Enide_Dear



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Other, and need some tlc, family means no one gets left behind, from 'mom' and 'dad', not even if they have the flu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 14:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11083071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enide_Dear/pseuds/Enide_Dear
Summary: Poor Prompto has come down with the flu and he's used to have to take care of himself. But this time Gladio and Ignis will be there to help him out.





	Sick Leave

“Hey, Prompto!” Even through the door, Gladio’s voice carried clearly. “I know you are in there! Open up, or I’ll break the damn door down!”  
   
It was probably a joke – probably – but the concerned note in the Shield’s voice still made Prompto shuffle his exhausted body out of bed. It took a few tried before his fumbling fingers could open the lock and he leaned heavily on the door post, panting as if he was running a marathon.  
   
“Hey,” he tried to smile up at the man he mostly knew as Noct’s bodyguard. “What are you doing here? Noct’s…”he waved his hand, trying to find the words in his fever addled brain. “Not here,” he finally settled for.  
   
“I know he ain’t here, he sent me looking for *you* because you haven’t been to school for three days and you wont answer his calls.” The Shield looked down on him, a concerned frown between his eyes. “Are you ok?”  
   
“Yeah. Sure.” Standing up required too much effort; Prompto slid down along the wall. “Just….caught a bug or something.”  
   
“U-hu.” Crouching down, Gladio took in the feber shiny eyes, the red nose and the dead-tired expression on the smaller man. “Were are your parents?”  
   
“Don’t know.” Prompto shook his head and immediately regretted it as pain shot up his neck. “Look, I just need to sleep and I’ll be fine…”  
   
Glancing behind the exhausted blonde, Gladio took in the empty apartment, the lack of medicine – or even a glass of water – by the bed table and the general sense of abandonment.  
   
“Yeah. You got the first part right.” He sighed and reached down.  
   
Prompto was unceremoniously shuffled up and carried away despite his weak protests, vaguely aware that Gladio wrapped something – a blanket? – around him and laid him gently in the back of his car. Too sick and too tired to keep a clear head, Prompto just heard a few words of what the Shield spoke on his phone as he drove out into traffic.  
   
“Got Prom here, but he’d pretty bad at it. Some kind of flu, I think. Can’t take him to Nocts, you know how bad constitution that kid has. No, I’m taking him to my place. Could you pick up some cold medicine and meet us there? And food. Yeah, soup would do the trick, I think.”  
   
Prompto must have passed out for a few minutes because when he woke up he was once more carried, this time up some stairs. There were some swearing as Gladio tried to juggle both him and keys and then a door was opened and he was carried inside and laid down on a soft bed that smelled warm and familiar. It took a few minutes for his clogged up brain to realize it must be Gladio’s and he felt embarrassment rise in him despite the disease, but  strong hands held him down gently, patting his sweaty hair.  For someone so huge and intimidating, Gladio’s face looked remarkably soft and kind this close up. Prompto blinked at him, bleary eyed.  
   
“Don’t worry kid. We’ll take care of you. Iggy will be here any minute.” A small shuffled by the door made the Shield turn and Prompto could make out Ignis’ profile, all but hidden behind a number of grocery bags in his arms.  
   
“I’ll take those. You go check on the patient.” Gladio carried the bags to the kitchen while Ignis crouched down by the bed. A cool hand touched Prompto’s sweaty forehead and swollen throat.  
   
“How are we today?” Ignis said gently, taking in the red eyes, runny nose and dry skin.  
   
“I’b fine.” Prompto croaked. He couldn’t really handle this; he’d barely met these two before – certainly never without Noct around – and now they saw him like this, helpless and contagious. It was no way to make an impression.  
   
“When was the last time you ate something, Prompto?” Ignis continued his gentle exploration, brushing his fingers over in the enlarged tonsils, pinching a little in the too-tight skin on the back of his hand.  
   
“I’b not hungry.” He tried to defend himself – if they thought he couldn’t even take care of himself, how would he ever be allowed to take care of Noctis?  
   
“That wasn’t what I asked,” Ignis chided gently, but stood up as Gladio’s bulky shadow appeared in the door way. “He is dehydrated, has a fever and a bad throat infection. I will heat some soup; see if you can get some penicillin in him. And nose drops, cough syrup, fever suppressants. And all the liquids he wants.”  
   
“You heard the man,” Gladio shrugged as Ignis moved to the kitchen. “Let’s play nurse.”  
   
Prompto felt weak as a half drowned kitten when Gladio helped him sit up, propped on pillows and still as wrapped up in blankets as if he was a caterpillar, dropped eye drops into his eyes and various medicines down his throat along with a glass of water. A few moments later Ignis came with a bowl of soup and when it became clear that Prompto’s hands were shaking too bad, helped spoon feed him. Prompto’s body – starve on a caring touch as much as liquids and nutrients – seemed to soak up every ounce of  it through his very pores. Floating on the bliss of a full stomach and unclogged nose as well as the hand petting his hair, Prompto almost fell asleep sitting up, but he was helped down and finally rest came over him.  
   
   
He woke up the next morning, still a bit feverish but decisively better. Sitting up he caught sight of Gladio by the bed, reading a book and drinking a cup of coffee.  
   
“Hey,” the Shield said over his book. “Feeling better? Iggy left some rosehip soup for you on the bedtable.”  
   
“Um. Thanks.” He was still thirsty; the thick, sweet soup felt like bliss running down his throat. “Where is…Ignis?”  
   
“He’s with Noct but he’ll be here for lunch.” Gladio put down his book and stretched. “Shift break, eh?”  
   
Prompto could feel the heat creeping up his cheeks.  
   
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause problems for you. I mean, you got jobs and all….”  
   
“Yeah, ‘cause sitting around in Nocts apartment hearing him whine about not having anyone to go to the Arcades with is so much fun.” Gladio grinned and leaned forward. A huge, callused, but gentle hand touched his forehead. “Don’t worry about it. Nocts friend is out friend and we’ll help you anyway we can. You still have some fever though, so try to get some more rest. Let me know if you need anything.”  
   
A strange feeling settled in Prompto’s chest as he shuffled down under the blankets again and Gladio returned to his book. There were water and medicines on the table by the bed, food would be provided and he was not alone. It took some time for him to put words to the emotions it had been so long since he felt.  
   
Safety.  
Comfort.  
Family.  
   
He let it all wash over him like a wave, leaving him feeling light as a feather in its wake, disease or not. He was safe here. He would be taken care of. He was no longer on his own.  
   
And on that strange, uplifting thought, he fell asleep once more.


End file.
